Mince Pies

For the Pastry

Flour 250 gm 500 gm 1k
Salt Pinch 5 gm
Sugar 25 gm 50 gm 100 gm
Butter or Margarine 150 gm 300 gm 600 gm
Eggs 1 2 4
Cold Water 15 mls 30 mls 60 mls

Sweet Mince meat

Egg
Caster sugar
Method

To make the pastry;

1. Sieve the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl.
2. Rub the fat in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Mix in the beaten egg and water to form a paste.
4. Rest the paste for 20 minuets.

To make the pies

1. Find two pastry cutters one slightly smaller than the other. The larger of the
two should just fit the outside of your cup cake tin or pastry tray.
2. Lightly flour a work service and roll the pastry out to a thickness of 2-3 mm
3. Cut the pastry into rings. Ensure that you have the same number of tops and
bottoms.
4. Carefully place one of the larger rings into the base of the cup cake tin.
Ensure that you get right to the bottom and push the pastry into all the corners.
5. Fork the bottom of the pastry to prevent steam causing the base to bubble up.
6. Place a spoonful of mincemeat into the base of the pastry but be careful not to
over fill your pies. (The filling will bubble up and out of the pie, welding it to
the pie tin.)
7. Lightly egg-wash the inner rim of the pastry before taking the smaller pastry
ring to use as a lid. Place it on top of the mincemeat filled pie and lightly
press down to seal the two pieces of pastry together.
8. Egg-wash the top of the pie and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Repeat until all the pastry is used.
10. Place the tray into a hot oven 180-190°C and bake until the pastry is cooked
and the pies have developed a light golden brown colour.
11. Place the pies onto a cooling wire. (Do not eat the pies while they are hot as
you are liable to burn your mouth.)

Some people like to leave the tops of there pies plain and dust them with icing sugar
once cold. Either way is expectable.